It seems that filmmakers have finally started paying attention to what the audience has been screaming for some time now – the need for quality cinema. Cinema vows to be a reflection of the society but over time they have started taking a lot of liberties with the word ‘fiction‘ and also stretching the truth a bit too far. Even, biopics and movies based on incidents are said to carry sometimes necessary and often unnecessary glamour factor, which they can do without. Among such a clutter of films emerges Waiting, a humane and honest depiction of different stages of grief and hope.

The film starts in Cochin with Shiv Natraj (Naseeruddin Shah) waking up and going about his morning chores, after which he leaves for Aster Medcity where he visits his comatose wife and strikes up a conversation with her. At the same time, Tara Deshpande (Kalki Koechlin) in Mumbai receives news of her husband’s accident and she immediately leaves for Cochin. She arrives at the same hospital where Natraj’s wife is also admitted. She is made aware of the extent of her husband’s injuries and his medically-induced comatose state only after she threatens to create a scene. While waiting to know more about the condition of their respective spouses, these two strangers meet and strike a conversation.

It is very rare in Bollywood movies for the lead protagonists to not have love brewing between them. This is one of those stories. Hospital waiting rooms are probably the most horrible places for families of the patients. The waiting for some update could be taxing and the people who have not gone through the same find it difficult to understand and help the families of the patients.

Anu Menon has managed to capture the anguish and the tragedies of waiting rooms perfectly. A lot of credit also goes to Naseeruddin Shah and Kalki Koechlin for their beautiful performances. They are entire convincing as the grief-ridden spouses stuck between moving on and being there for their loved ones. Kalki Koechlin has proved that she truly is an underrated actress.

The film’s story is simple and perfectly paced. You rarely will find yourself complaining about the film’s pace and every emotion has been focused on. Raw emotions have been tapped into and presented strongly on the screen. In a beautiful scene where Shiv explains Tara various stages of grief, you see all the stages on screen. In spite of grief being the center emotion, they have managed to introduce enough intelligent humor, which brings a smile on your face every now and then.

Why You Should Watch This Movie:

If you are looking to explore the potential of Bollywood storylines, this is a must watch. A completely common occurrence that is in abundance around us has been taken and molded into a unique story that will stay with you.